David Bryson isn’t just another junior at Tompkins High School. In addition to being on the football team and the wrestling time – and in FFA – he is an Eagle Scout as well.

” My dad is an Eagle Scout,” said David in an email to the Katy Times. “He got me started as a cub scout back in 2014. I was a Tiger in Den 4, Pack 1836 in Katy. I remember the fun cool games and campouts...I got to hold a 10-foot python! I wanted to keep going in Scouts and joined Troop 584 in 2019. Since then, I got to backpack at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, live on a sailboat in St. Thomas at Sea Base, and canoe the boundary waters near Canada at Northern Tier.”

David wanted to become an Eagle Scout like his father, too. But a big decision had to be made – what to do for his Eagle Scout project? Those projects are carefully chosen. “Service to other people is what Scouting is all about,” says the Boy Scouts’ organization’s website, scouting.org.. “In many ways, your service project reflects who you are as a youth leader. Your result should be of significant impact in your community to be special, and should represent your very best effort.”

In the process of considering options, David learned about Camp Hope from his father, Joe Bryson. In 2012, the PTSD Foundation of America established Camp Hope, a five-acre facility in Houston providing interim and transitional housing to veterans working to heal their “invisible wounds,” according to the organization’s website.

“My dad told me about Camp Hope,” said David. “We drove out there and I met [volunteer coordinator] Spensor Cones. He gave me a tour and introduced me to some of the veterans and told me what they needed. I liked what their program was about, helping combat veterans.”

David decided to build a couple of large benches for Camp Hope – but these are no ordinary benches. “Camp Hope will refer to them as ‘cross benches,’” said David’s father, Joe Bryson. “They will be used by the combat veterans going through Camp Hope to sit and pray in front of a large cross at the end of the property. These benches will be incorporated into their program. They will tell the vets working through personal issues to ‘...take it to the cross’.”

That saying – “take it to the cross” -- and the Camp Hope shield logo are carved into each bench.

Camp Hope wanted heavy, sturdy benches. The lumber is pine and was donated at cost from Scholl lumber in Houston. David used treated and kiln dried lumber, with the plans calling for 4x4x8s, 2x12x8s, 2x10x8s, 2x8x8s, and 2x4s along with galvanized carriage bolts, washers, and nuts.

“Once we had the lumber, it took about four weeks with various workdays to router the backrests, cut/assemble, and then apply the stain and final clear coats,” said David. “A couple of my troop buddies volunteered to help on different workdays. This project would have taken longer without them. Some of these guys I've been friends with since our cub scout days in Den 4!”

“I couldn't have done this without Don Abrahamson,” David said. “He is a master wood worker and a big supporter of scouting in Katy. He helped me create the router template from the PTSD Foundation of America logo that we used to router the shields into the backrests.”

David wrapped up the construction in early September and the Brysons will bring the benches to Camp Hope on September 29 for installation following the Camp Hope church service.

“My grandfather is a Vietnam war veteran and has dealt with PTSD,” David said. “He is very proud of my project and wants to come and pray on the benches one day.”